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A tiny new moon has been discovered orbiting Pluto, scientists announced today (July 11).
Researchers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope found the moon, bringing the number of known Pluto satellites to five. The discovery comes almost exactly one year after Hubble spotted Pluto's fourth moon, a tiny body currently called P4.
P5 appears to be irregularly shaped, with a diameter between 6 and 15 miles (10 to 24 km). It zips around Pluto at an average distance of 29,000 miles (47,000 km), in an orbit thought to be coplanar with the dwarf planet's other satellites, researchers said.
Charon was first spotted in 1978, 48 years after the discovery of Pluto. Nix and Hydra were found by Hubble in 2005.
A massive dark object may be lurking on the edge of our solar system, according to scientists.
Most comets that fly into the inner solar system seem to come from the outer region of the Oort cloud - a region of icy dust and debris left over from the birth of the solar system.
The cloud starts from a point about 93 billion miles from the Sun and stretches for around three light years and contains billions of comets, most of them small and hidden.
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A Nasa graphic which illustrates how the Oort Cloud surrounds our solar system. Scientists believe that an object with a huge mass may be pushing comets towards Earth from the cloud
Originally posted by CLPrime
reply to post by Ophiuchus 13
Earth observers did see Pluto's moons P4 and P5 in the near past...they were spotted in the past year.
Originally posted by CLPrime
New Horizons should find out more about Pluto's moons and the potential ring when it flies by in 2015.
"We're finding more and more, so our concern about hazards is going up," he added, referring to the collision risk New Horizons will face when it cruises by Pluto in a few years.
Originally posted by CLPrime
reply to post by Ophiuchus 13
They were there...just a little too small to notice. P4 and P5 are around half the size of Hydra and Nix.
We can't detect everything all at once.
Originally posted by Sinny
Aliens did it!
haha, tell you what, from that pik it looks like 2 of Plutos moons are similar sizes to its self
P4, is only 10% as bright as Nix
To make the discovery, Showalter and his team pointed Hubble at Pluto and took very long, eight-minute exposures. (These long exposures are what permitted them to make the discovery -- previous observations that yielded up Nix and Hydra had shorter exposures.)
Originally posted by HawkeyeNation
Here's the real question....why the hell do you spell Earth like EA*RTH? Just curious and I'll post something relevant next, lol.
Originally posted by Ophiuchus 13
Why didnt EA*RTH cosmic observers see PLUTOS p4-p5 moons in the near past?
A tiny new moon has been discovered orbiting Pluto, scientists announced today (July 11).
What is attracting these moons to Pluto. Why do they seem to get stuck in its orbit and not pass it as if it has a heavier mass? Or IS something PUSHING THESE CELESTIALS OUT OF THE OORT CLOUD?
SO IS THERE SOMETHING OUT THERE CAUSING THINGS TO MOVE/LAUNCH/BE DIRECTED ECT?
thoughts ATS?
edit on 7/11/12 by Ophiuchus 13 because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by Ophiuchus 13
Originally posted by HawkeyeNation
Here's the real question....why the hell do you spell Earth like EA*RTH? Just curious and I'll post something relevant next, lol.
AHHH yes this question again good that its on the first page---
I do it in respect to EA or LORD ENKI. Dont you think its odd you live on a planet with the first 2 letters being a NAME of a ANNUNAKI who is said to of visited EA*RTH?
Originally posted by Ophiuchus 13
reply to post by yorkshirelad
Or option C they were cloaked But I get what your saying. It doesnt make sens that Hubble is/was able to see other galaxies and not see those right next to the SOL system @tleast going in the direction of Pluto. Thanks for your input yorkshirelad, all views are welcome here..edit on 7/11/12 by Ophiuchus 13 because: (no reason given)
Originally posted by Ophiuchus 13
But how can Hubble see other galaxies further away???
And not see them atleast near Pluto. This is somehting that makes 1 wonder?
Originally posted by Ophiuchus 13
It doesnt make sens that Hubble is/was able to see other galaxies and not see those right next to the SOL system @tleast going in the direction of Pluto.
Originally posted by Ophiuchus 13
reply to post by ngchunter
Thanks ngchunter for your input also. Its just hard to accept, not saying your wrong or im right its just hard to accept a object like Hubble seeing galaxies billions of miles away and miss them. I get what you mean though. Question DO YOU THINK THERE ARE MORE?